Physics Of Pole Vaulting
By Caitlan Swyer
Linear Motion
• The more you accelerate the more speed you
gain the more height you will gain to get over
the top of the pole.
Newton’s First Law
• Newton’s First Law is defined as an object at rest
stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion
with the same speed and in the same direction
unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. In
laymen's terms, this means that anything that starts
moving will keep moving until forces such as gravity,
wind or friction interfere.
• Pole vaulters use the energy they create from
sprinting into the energy required to overcome
gravity and reach their desired height. Thus, the
faster you sprint, the higher you should be able to
vault.
Newton’s Second Law
• The greater the force the athlete exerts at
take-off the greater the acceleration and
height or distance achieved. Once the athlete
has left the ground nothing he does will
accelerate the body. When maximal forces are
needed the muscles contract to generate this
force and this is why injuries are more likely to
occur in the acceleration or deceleration
phases of a movement.
Newton’s Third Law
"To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.“
•
Friction
Circular Motion/Rotation
Impulse/momentum relationship (F∆t=
m∆v)
Gravity - weight
Potential and Kinetic Energy
• Through the proper use of the pole vault, the
energy of motion associated with the sprint is
converted into the energy needed to
overcome gravity and reach a certain height.
The energy of motion is called "kinetic
energy," while the energy associated with
working against gravity is called "gravitational
potential energy." The faster you can sprint
toward the bar, the higher you can vault over
the bar, again assuming a proper technique.
Energy conservation through
conversions from one type to another
• Pole vaulters use the
energy they create from
sprinting into the energy
required to overcome
gravity and reach their
desired height. Thus, the
faster you sprint, the
higher you should be able
to vault.
• http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGV
mYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxtcmxvbmdodXJzdHBoeXNpY3N8Z3g6
MzI1NjgyODE3MTJlNTYw
• http://www.livestrong.com/article/360125-pole-vaultingthe-first-law-of-motion/
• http://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&tbo=1&q=Linear
+motion+of+pole+vaulting&btnG=Search+Books#q=Linear+
motion+of+pole+vaulting&hl=en&tbo=1&source=lnms&ei=
X01QTavxFoGC8ganr8j5Dg&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode
&cd=1&ved=0CDQQ_AUoAA&fp=ac5229e2e8efe107
• http://www.aip.org/png/html/polevault.html
• http://www.coachr.org/biomechanics.htm
• http://www.popsci.com/search-results